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Department of Aging and Disabilities has opened a new site; New center in Glen Burnie mirrors services ; offered in Annapolis

Capital - 6/10/2017

Pam Jordan, department director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities, is energized by the county's ability to offer expanded services in the northern part of Anne Arundel County. She explained to Sarah Stein, a new employee, who will be the director of the department's Resource Center Planning and Programming, some of the features of the new center in Glen Burnie.

The center, in the Harry Hein Building, enhances the department's ability to provide services to north county seniors and those of any age with disabilities. Built in 1985, it originally housed the county's Board of Elections and was recently repurposed for the Department of Aging and Disabilities.

The new center is staffed by 22 employees who were relocated from the department offices on the fourth floor of the Heritage Complex at 2666 Riva Road in Annapolis. It is open Monday through Friday, except for federal or state holidays, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its phone number, staffed during regular hours, is the same as the Heritage Complex number: 410-222-4257.

The center mirrors the services and 21 programs currently offered at Heritage Complex and will improve the department's monitoring of the assisted living residences, which have four to 16 beds. Of the 89 in Anne Arundel County, 58 are in northern Anne Arundel County, making it a critical need area.

Both centers offer services and programs to older adults 55 and above, individuals of any age with disabilities, and to caregivers. The department partners on various projects with Partners in Care, Friends of Arundel Seniors, the Anne Arundel Senior Provider Group and the assisted living community. The department also oversees the seven senior activity centers in Annapolis, Arnold, Brooklyn Park, Odenton (O'Malley), Pasadena, Glen Burnie (Pascal) and Edgewater.

"The new north county center is on a bus line," Jordan said. "That's helpful for people with disabilities. If you live within ¾ miles of a transit line, MTA Mobility & Paratransit will pick you up."

The department's Deputy Director Karrisa Goulin added the department has its own Demand Response Curb To Curb Donation Supported service.

Riders can schedule a ride with 48 hours notice.

In turn, they are asked for a donation. She noted under the Older Americans Act, "There are services that can get you to senior centers, community college classes, medical appointments, dialysis treatments and to the two Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities Centers.

Another option is the Taxi Voucher Program offered by the Maryland Transit Administration's Office of Planning and Zoning, which has a coupon system. A senior or disabled person can purchase coupons for $75 per month, which give a 50 percent discount on taxi rides.

The department has three staff members and 11 trained volunteers who can discuss the intricacies of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs. They help area residents navigate all options for which they qualify.

"The younger we can start helping people plan their future, the better," said Gouin. "The Department has programs to help people stay in their home. Some programs help with personal hygiene."

The calls the Department of Aging and Disabilities receive can be "as simple as needing a phone number for a homeless shelter or Social Security office," said Jordan, "or more challenging like needing a ramp built on an assisted living facility. We have certified Information and Referral specialists who answer our phone. We also work with people who make appointments and those who walk in."

Credit: By Wendi Winters - wwinters@capgaznews.com

Caption: New employee Sarah Stein, director of Aging and Disability Resource Center Planning and Programming, is shown materials that describe various services of the department by Pam Jordan, the department director, and, on the right, Karrisa Gouin, the department deputy director.

In a conference room at the Riva Road offices of the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities, a shelving unit overflows with brochures and handouts describing various services and programs offered by this department.

Wendi Winters/Capital Gazette

Wendi Winters/Capital Gazette

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